Subject: Grant of family pension to the dependent family members of a Government Servant/Pensioner reported missing - Reg.

The undersigned is to invite a reference to this Department’s earlier O.M. No.1/17/86-P&PW dt. 29th August, 1986 and the subsequent clarifications issued vide O.M. No.1/17/86-P&PW(E) dt. 18th February, 1993, O.M. No.1/17/86-P&PW(C) dt. 25th January, 1991 and O.M. No.1/28/04-P&PW(E) dt. 31st March, 2009, detailing therein instructions concerning grant of family pension to the eligible family members of the Government servants/Pensioners who have suddenly disappeared and whose whereabouts are not known, after a period of one year, or Government servants who have been kidnapped by insurgents/ terrorists, after a period of six months, reckoned from the date of registration of the FIR with the Police Authorities.

2. The staff side of the National Council (JCM) have been raising for quite sometime the issue concerning withdrawal of the mandatory condition of one year prescribed in regard to sanction of family pension to the eligible family members of the pensioners who are reported missing while on prigimage, tour, etc., and sanction the family pension to the eligible family members within a period of two months from the date of filling of the FIR with the police. This demand of the staff side is based on the premise that this kind of stipulation in the rules has been causing a great deal of hardship to the families of such missing pensioners.

3. The matter has been considered in this Department in consultation with Ministry of Finance (Department of Expenditure). It has been observed from the earlier instructions issued in this regard by this Department that the same do not make any distinction between the Government servant and the pensioners but cover both of them for the purpose of grant of family pension. It has accordingly been decided that the family pension/retirement or death gratuity to the eligible family members of a Government servant/Pensioner reported missing and whose whereabouts are not known, may be sanctioned after a period of six months from the date of registration of an FIR with the Police. This, however, would be subject to the instructions regarding grant/disbursal of retirement or death gratuity, etc., as contained in this Department’s O.M. referred to above.

4. This issues with the concurrence of the Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure vide their U.O. No.367/EV/2010 dated 15.06.2010.

5. These orders, in so far as their applicability relates to the employees of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department, are being issued in consultation with the Comptroller and Audit General of India, vide their U.O.43-Audit(Rules) / 28-2009 dt. 21.06.2010.